How I Became Friends With a Vampire
by Breea
Summary: Mystic Falls appears to be a quiet suburb; a boring place to move to. When Elena Gilbert is in charge of showing you around, however, Mystic Falls becomes a different place entirely.
1. Step 1: The Meeting

_A/N: Based off TV show; I may have to manipulate time a bit here and there but trying to follow basics of TV show story line. This starts between Know Thy Enemy(17) and The Last Dance(18). _

**How I Became Friends with a Vampire**

**Step 1: The Meeting**

My parents picked the wrong time to move to Mystic Falls. Hind sight being what it is, that's the best way I can put it- bad timing. It wasn't bad timing because it was the middle of my senior year, it wasn't bad timing because the weather was starting to get colder, it was bad timing because it was right when all the Elijah and Klaus mumbo jumbo started. If you're reading this, I am going to assume you know what that means.

But I get ahead of myself. You will find I tend to do that from time to time, it is my nature, as is rambling. Apologies are being offered up front so I don't have to worry about them later. I will not bore you with the early details of my life as they do not pertain to the story ahead. What little of my background that is important will come out naturally so I am going to start where you want me to start, at the moment of my meeting Damon Salvatore.

I was standing in the foyer of the boarding house, twiddling my thumbs, rocking on my heels, trying to look around the house without moving. My new friend Elena had brought me here to pick up her boyfriend; I was told to wait, not touch anything, and not move. I am nothing if not obedient and trustworthy so I took her at her word and stood in place, marveling at all the decadence from afar. Whoever lived here definitely had money.

To call Elena my 'friend' was a stretch of the meaning of the word. I later found out that she was trying to return her life to somewhat normal at the time; she wanted to be a normal high school girl that was semi-involved with high school activities. The principal had been eager to use her in any capacity and immediately signed her up to be my very own tour guide to my new school and town. Elena was obligated to be my 'friend' by decree of the high school administration.

I tried to let her off the hook; I knew she had better things to do with her time than show the new girl around. But she took her charge seriously and went out of her way to be by my side most of my first day. One thing I can still say about Elena is the girl is a never ending river of niceness. She was genuinely kind and cooperative and I appreciated her willingness to answer my questions and just be there to help me out. No wonder those Salvatore brothers had it bad.

She invited me to go to The Grill after school, a place where the local kids hung out, apparently. I was agreeable but she wanted to pick up Stefan, her boyfriend, first. He wasn't answering his cell phone and I could see a slightly worried look in her eye. We drove to this huge mansion she called 'the boarding house' and left me standing just inside the doorway. That is where the fun begins.

I had been left alone for less than five minutes. It was eerily quiet but in a place as big as it was I didn't expect the acoustics to be stellar. I felt rather conspicuous and child-like, standing and waiting for her to come back, but she had been adamant that I not come any farther in. I didn't want to upset anyone on my first official day in town so I stayed put.

One second I was checking my watch, the next second there was someone in front of me. I didn't know how he got there or where he came from but he was there, two feet in front of me, and looking at me with a rather unpleasant expression. However, any expression on Damon Salvatore's face is beautiful. Most of you know that.

I didn't know at the time it was Damon, though. He was just some hot dude standing in front of me with a scary look in his pretty eyes. So I said the only intelligent thing that came to mind. "Hi." Brilliant, I know.

His eyes narrowed but there was no other response. Well, that was kind of rude so I stuck out my hand and continued, hoping he'd soften up when he realized I wasn't trying to steal the plasma TV I could see from my vantage point. "My name's Avvy. Well, really it's Avaline, but I think it's rather long and unattractive so I don't really like to be called it, so I go by Avvy. My parents still call me Avaline, they like it. I think they were hippies."

He looked at my outstretched hand as I babbled about my name. I hate my name and I tend to babble to make excuses about it. This dude was making me babble more than normal since he was looking at me all intimidating like. He still hadn't shaken my hand so I took it back.

"What are you doing in my house?" There was only a hint of anger in his voice; it sounded more like irritation. I suddenly felt like an idiot.

"Oh! Yea, I'm waiting on Elena. She's here to pick up Stefan. Her boyfriend." Which he probably already knew. Did I mention how I tend to babble?

He raised an eyebrow at me, his only response at first. He seemed to size me up. A perfect time for a quick description of me.

I am short; at five foot two and a quarter inches most people consider me short but not a midget. The worst part about being short is grocery shopping and not being able to reach things on the top shelves. It's embarrassing to have to ask a taller passerby to get something for you.

I have dark, straight hair that falls to my shoulders. I would like long hair but I always get sick of how heavy it is and cut it off every year or so. I don't have a gorgeous face; I consider myself to be cute, but not pretty. I will not be gracing the next cover of Teen People but on the flip side I don't consider myself unattractive. I have a healthy self-esteem in that regard; I don't need to be pretty, cute serves me just fine, thank you.

I do like my eyes, my favorite part of my outward appearance. They are hazel; mostly brown with some green mixed in. Depending on the light they can look greener or browner but either way they are the prettiest thing to look at in the mirror when I check in the morning. I've been blessed with good genes as far as my skin goes; clear for the most part, the occasional blemish when I stress really bad. I could stand to lose about five to ten pounds and I plan on embarking on that endeavor, as soon as they making working out less work. I try to watch what I eat and I am not overweight but I am no cheerleader. I will not be walking around this summer in a midriff shirt and daisy dukes, if you know what I mean.

So that is what Damon was sizing up, a short, somewhat cute girl in jeans and a sweatshirt, babbling about the stupidity of her name. He must of somehow realized what a threat I was NOT and decided to flash me a smile. There was no warmth in it; I wasn't fooled for a minute into thinking it was a friendly gesture. Still, I returned it, relaxing a smidge. He wasn't going to bite me. And yes, looking back, I realize how ironic that thought was.

"Damon," he offered me his hand which I shook quickly. "Stefan's big brother and guardian," he informed me. I nodded, recognizing the name. Elena had mentioned briefly that Stefan had a brother that might be at the house but she thought he'd most likely be out. She had been wrong. "I like my name." He added.

I'll admit, he creeped me out just a little. His stare was severe and it never let up. His eyes were beautiful but intense like he was trying to see something in me that wasn't on my outsides. I was very glad when Elena and Stefan showed up just then.

"Damon, you're home." Elena was surprised.

"Elena, you sound disappointed." Damon countered, dragging his eyes from me to her.

"Just surprised." She looked back at Stefan who shrugged. She introduced him to me and I could immediately see what Elena liked in him. He was a gentleman and his eyes were kind and trustworthy. He was the compete antithesis of his brother, I could tell instantly. Stefan was a good soul.

"Well, we're going to The Grill for dinner and to catch Avvy up on all the town gossip so…" Elena was trying to make an exit for the three of us. Damon perked up however and crushed her plans to leave him behind.

"Great! I'm starving. And I would love to help introduce our new friend here to the town." Damon offered me his arm and not knowing what else to do I took it. I did not miss the look exchanged between Elena and Stefan. They didn't want him along, I got that, but I wasn't sure why. At the time he just seemed like a pushy, bossy older brother who wanted to possibly rain on the kids' parade.

Me, I don't like to make waves, especially when I don't know the situation so I just went with it. If they really didn't want him along they would tell him and not take him. That wasn't happening so I just thought they figured it wouldn't be too bad. Really, looking back, they probably didn't want to provoke an unstable Damon into doing something regrettable with or in front of the new girl. I'm probably lucky they didn't. It's probably the only reason I'm still alive.

_**A/N: This is an attempt at 2**__**nd**__** person, written similar to a memoire written after events transpired. Sometimes the tenses are hard to write, I apologize for any confusion.**_


	2. Step 2: The Normal Conversation

_A/N: Short chapter with some background. Not much action. Much action next chapter, promise._

**Step 2: The Normal Conversation**

Elena and I sat on one side, Stefan and Damon sat across from us, respectively. I was introduced to Matt who was working there and a few other kids from school whose names I don't remember now. Mostly, however, dinner was the four of us having a conversation. The nice thing about it was that there was never an uncomfortable silence. Stefan and Elena seemed to take a few minutes to warm up but when they realized _everyone_ was just trying to have a normal discussion, they relaxed and joined in. _Everyone_ meaning Damon.

I don't know if they thought Damon was going to reveal all the vampire and other supernatural goodness to me on my first night or what, but Damon was smart enough to not do that. I most likely would have thought they were all nuts, called them all crazy and left, never to speak to any of the loonies again. I mean, come on, vampires and witches and werewolves? I still have a hard time believing it, even after all I've seen.

Our conversation that night was very normal. We started with TV shows and movies, moved on to music and concerts we'd been to. By the time dinner was over we were onto our families. The three of them had tragic tales; I was embarrassed to complain about my parents. At least I **had** parents. Yet, my parents were very neglectful, have been my whole life, so there was still some sympathy to be had for me.

I grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere, raised mostly by my grandparents. My parents were around, in the house, but they were distant; worried about other things. My dad had job with a computer software firm but he couldn't leave my grandpa alone to work the farm so Dad worked from home best he could and out in the fields the rest of the time. My mom was a manager of a prominent restaurant and was never around, spending most nights at a hotel in town so she could be back to work early the next morning.

This past summer my grandparents died, one after the other, of old age. Dad couldn't wait to sell the farm and move to somewhere closer to work. The farm took the whole fall to finally sell and mom convinced dad to not move into the city. She wanted a suburb lifestyle. Mystical Falls was the perfect distance halfway between the cities my parents worked in and was suburbia all the way. Never mind pulling their daughter out of her senior year at the only school she'd been to her whole life. They figured I would adapt.

Stefan, Damon, and Elena listened with surprising interest. At the time, I figured not many people moved to the small town and it was interesting to hear a different story. Now I think it was just nice for them to hear about "normal people" problems rather than mega supernatural ones.

It got late fast. One moment dinner was served, the next we had been through 2 rounds of coffee and the clock read 9:30. Yes, 9:30 is late for me on a school night. I'm no good if I don't get at least eight hours.

"I better get home," I said with a yawn and a stretch.

"Me too," Elena agreed, frowning sadly at Stefan.

"We'll walk you." Damon offered.

Elena looked surprised but declined. "I drove. I'll just drop Avvy off."

"See you at school tomorrow?" Stefan asked.

"Of course." Elena smiled and leaned over to kiss him goodbye.

And that was it. A normal, nice dinner with conversation and healthy debate over which Harrison Ford movie series was better, Star Wars or Indiana Jones. Most people might consider that tedious but I consider it lucky. Because most nights after that were much, much different.


	3. Step 3: The Rescue

**Step 3: The Rescue**

My second day of school was no less confusing than the first. Apparently some dance was being thrown the upcoming weekend and everyone seemed totally into it. At my old school people rarely showed up to dances if the student council even bothered to put them on. This was a change for me, school spirit. I wasn't sure if I liked it or it scared me.

Elena was nice enough to hang out with me in our shared classes. She even sat with me at lunch and introduced me to her friend, Bonnie. Both girls were nice and giggly about the dance, looking forward to dressing up and going. They invited me to tag along if I was so inclined. When I begged off, saying I didn't have anything to wear, they offered up help in that department as well. Unwilling to ruffle any feathers or offend either girl I agreed to let them help me and I would go with them to the dance. That seemed to please them both and from the looks they were giving me, I suddenly felt like a very short Barbie doll.

Now, I am not complaining. I was blessed that two nice girls befriended me so quickly on my first few days in a new town. I don't want you to get me wrong and I think I was ungrateful. I just wasn't sure how I felt about a decade dance and dressing up in hippie 60s clothes. Did I mention before that I think my parents were hippies?

After school we went to Elena's and raided the attic for suitable clothing. We found two dresses that weren't totally terrible and Bonnie promised to do my hair on the evening of the dance. That settled, we went our separate ways; Elena to Stefan's, Bonnie and I to our respective houses. Semi-interesting second day of school.

It was starting to get dark out as I unlocked the front door to my house. It was obvious that both my parents hadn't been home yet. Great, that meant Layla, our dog, was starving and needed to go for a walk. I was greeted by a wagging tail and a lick to the face that about knocked me on my butt when our 75 pound Pitt Bull heard me come in. Great watch dog, that one, not a bark or a growl, just love love love!

I hooked up her leash, locked the door behind me and decided to head to the park. There are a few things of note here. First, Layla is a Pitt. She scares people when they look at her. It's comical really because the dog would as soon lick you as bite you. She loves people. It's also worthy of note that a short, fairly tiny girl walking a big Pitt Bull is an amusing site. Our dog doesn't pull me down the street, she walks next to me, but people still get out of our way like I am walking a tiger or something. People really need to have more open minds.

Another thing I want to mention is that previous to this day I am discussing, Layla and I went on walks on back country roads. There was nothing but dirt and corn and fields of grass for miles. Sometimes I'd use a leash, sometimes I wouldn't. She was allowed to run up ahead of me or out in the fields as she pleased- we were in the country with no one around for miles so I was never worried about her getting hurt or lost.

Mystic Falls was a little different. There weren't really open fields or dirt roads to walk my dog on. I had two choices: the sidewalks of the neighborhoods or the park. I chose the park, simply because I hadn't seen it yet. Once we got inside the perimeter, however, I wasn't impressed. It was maybe three city blocks long and half that wide. Layla and I could probably walk the whole thing in less than 20 minutes. I was about to turn and try the sidewalks thinking at least there'd be more distance to cover, when Layla did a very dog thing to do. She chased a squirrel.

Layla loves squirrels. I don't think she would know what to do with one if she ever caught one but her joy in life is chasing fuzzy tails until they run up trees. Usually on a leash she is really good but this night, maybe it was the new environment or maybe because she had been cooped up all day in that house, but for whatever the reason, Layla was off, chasing a squirrel, jerking the leash right out of my hand.

At first all I could do was stand and stare after my dog, jaw dropped in disbelief that she would take off like that. Then I realized that I couldn't see her any more; that her brindle self was blending in perfectly with the now pitch black trees in the park. The lighting was terrible and not helpful at all in figuring out which way Layla went. My heart sank into my toes as I realized I lost my dog.

Now you are probably asking yourself what this has to do with vampires or Damon and Stefan hotness. It will pertain, trust me. It's coming up shortly.

I started walking around the park calling to my stupid pet. I didn't have food or treats or anything to lure her back to me; I was going on blind trust and faith that she wouldn't go very far from me and come back when the squirrel was up a tree. What I didn't notice was that the door to The Grill had opened and closed leaving a rowdy bunch of drunk guys near the entrance to the park. My guess is they heard me calling for my dog.

If they had known my dog was a Pitt Bull, maybe things would have been different. As it was, it ended up not mattering what type of dog Layla was; she jumped in on the action way too late. The guys approached me, asking from afar what I was doing, who I was looking for. Not being a total moron I told them I was looking for my dog and I didn't need their help, thank you very much. Being that I wasn't intimidating in the least they continued to approach me. My heart jumped from my toes to my throat when I recognized I was alone in a dark park with no one in sight to help me and four plastered dudes were quickly closing in. This might be trouble.

I kept calling for Layla, hoping she'd show up and save the day. These guys would have to back off if they saw her, right? That was my hope. Yet, when one grabbed my arm my hopes were dashed and reality came crashing down. These guys were going to try and hurt me.

I did the only thing I could think of: I screamed my head off. I yelled at them to get off me, I yelled for help, I called for my dog, I just babbled in yelling format. I also struggled and moved around, making myself as hard as possible to hold onto. All I can recall were grabbing hands and hateful words from the four of them.

Then there were three. I think it startled the guys more than me but a hole opened up in the circle that was around me all of a sudden. One of the guys had literally disappeared before our eyes. I was aware enough to take advantage of that moment of shock; I shoved the heel of my palm directly up the nose of the guy who had my arm. When he buckled over in pain I brought up my knee into his face and he fell over, hurt or unconscious, I wasn't sure which.

When I whirled to face the other guys, there was only one standing and he looked terrified. Layla had a hold of his pant leg and some other guy in a leather jacket stepped forward and punched him in the face. He fell to the ground without a whimper. Layla barked at him then trotted over to sit by me, looking all proud of herself. I resisted the urge to yell at her for running off and showing up to save me almost too late. Instead, I looked at the guy who really did rescue me.

Damon Salvatore. Yep, that's right folks. A very angry, seething Damon stood in front of me, glaring at the 4 bodies on the ground. He didn't even glance at me; he seemed to be sizing up whether or not any of the boys were going to get back on their feet any time soon.

I've already proven that I am a person of brilliant conversation skills; my first word in this situation was, "Damon?" even though I already knew the answer.

He whirled on his heel and finally looked at me. Quite the conversation artist himself he replied with a "hey." He looked me up and down and the anger slowly left his eyes. "You alright?"

I took mental stock of myself; my arm felt bruised from where the guy grabbed me, my knee was throbbing from connecting with the guy's skull, and I might have twisted my ankle at one point but considering what could have happened I nodded my answer. "I'm ok."

"Good, I'll walk you home."

"Shouldn't we call the police?" Damon seemed irritated by my question but he pulled out his phone. He had a brief conversation with a Sherriff Forbes then shoved his phone back in his jacket pocket.

"Done. Let's go." Damon began walking.

"Shouldn't I wait to-"

He grabbed my arm firmly but gently and stared into my eyes. He was doing that thing again, where it seemed like he wanted to see beyond my outsides, probing for my soul with his beauteous eyes. After a breath he exhaled slowly. "We're not waiting, it's okay. We're getting you home." He began leading me out of the park.

As we hit the sidewalk he glanced over at me. "What were you doing?"

"Walking my dog." I responded, giving him a weird look as I motioned at Layla.

"She didn't show up until after everything was over." He pointed out.

"She ran off." I shrugged. "I was looking for her."

"Alone. In the park. After dark." He gave me a rather fatherly, disbelieving look. I frowned at him.

"You make it sound as though I meant for that to happen. Layla doesn't typically run off. And no one messes with a girl and her Pitt Bull." I pouted a little bit, not liking that he thought I was dumb.

I could practically hear his eyes roll he was so exasperated with me. "It's a good thing I was headed to The Grill. I don't typically go on Tuesday nights. Mystic Falls can be pretty dead at night. People don't like to go out after dark." He seemed to be talking to himself as much as he was talking to me in that moment. I think he was realizing what he was saying, while he was saying it, but I can't be sure. You never know what that guy is actually thinking.

"Good thing." I agreed with his first statement. "Thank you for coming to my rescue. It was kind of you."

He gave me a strange look. "Kind? I heard you scream, I came to help. Anyone would have done the same, kind or not."

I shook my head. "You hear stories of people just walking by, not wanting to get involved, not wanting to deal with what's happening right in front of them. It was kind of you to get involved."

"Stop calling me kind." He replied gruffly with a hint of anger. It was my turn to give him a weird look. He caught it and pressed his lips together. "I'm not a hero."

I replied with my own wry smile. "Not _a_ hero. _My_ hero!" I gave it some over dramatic emphasis and grabbed his arm so that he was escorting me down the street. He looked perturbed but didn't respond or pull away. We were at my house anyway, so he didn't have to put up with me for long.

"Thanks for walking me home. Quite the gentleman tonight, Damon Salvatore." I put a teasing tone in my voice so he wouldn't be offended. I couldn't imagine why a guy wouldn't want to be called a gentleman or a hero but this Damon guy was apparently hell bent on being the bad guy. I had noticed that yesterday. Yet the guy couldn't be all bad; he did go out of his way to save me this evening.

"Good night, Avvy. Try to be safer. And smarter." His grin seemed genuine. I returned it. This guy might be a weirdo, but I liked him.


	4. Step 4: A Helping Hand

_A/N: Sort of followed the episode with some tweaks. Tried not to rehash a bunch of what happened on the show because, well, we all know what happened on the show. Hope you enjoy…_

**Step 4: A Helping Hand**

Elena and Bonnie listened to my story at lunch the next day with rapt attention. Bonnie's jaw literally hit the table when I mentioned Damon was my rescuer. I knew the guy wasn't the most popular among this group of friends but I was surprised they were so shocked that he would help me. He didn't seem all that EVIL to me. Oh, how naïve I was.

Wait! I don't want you to think that _I_ think Damon is evil. I'm friends with the guy now and I wouldn't be friends with an evil person. At the same time, let's not kid ourselves. Damon's actions are not always honorable; he has his moments of wicked weakness.

Back to Bonnie and Elena; Elena was insistent that while it was nice of Damon to help me and he did have his kind moments I wasn't to trust him. Or to ever invite him into my house. I thought that was a weird caveat but she was so adamant that I promised her I wouldn't. Elena can be pretty intense when she wants to be.

Conversation moved on to the dance that was Friday. Bonnie was the one making most of the plans and Elena and I could do no more than just nod our agreement as she checked off her mental list of things to do Friday after school. By the time we committed the order of events for Friday to memory, lunch was over and classes resumed.

I'd like to tell you that the rest of Wednesday and Thursday were exciting and full of vampire drama but I have to be honest; the next two nights were pretty standard. No pretty vampires for me either night. Thursday Elena didn't even show up to school which was weird to me since she hadn't seemed sick the day before. Apparently this wasn't weird behavior for her, though, according to classmates. It seemed that school was optional for Elena Gilbert. This was my first, and only, moment of doubting my new friend's integrity.

Friday, the day of the dance, was not what I would call standard, however. It started at lunch; I joined Bonnie and Elena as they were chatting about what they were making their boy toys wear that night. A girl walked up and began talking about some cute guy who wanted to see Elena at the dance tonight. Elena was totally amused until the girl mentioned his name; Klaus. I could feel the mood instantly shift to tension and unease. Elena's face fell and Bonnie looked worried. I could agree that Klaus was a rather dumb name but it wasn't disappointment I was reading in my friend's eyes. It was fear. That much fear in a teenage girl's eyes was not normal.

After the random girl left, Bonnie and Elena were tight lipped about the situation. They were trying to blow it off in order to not alarm me but I could tell they were keeping a secret from me. Something was very wrong. But, as the new girl in town and as I barely knew them, I could see their point in keeping me out of the loop. I couldn't blame them. So, for better or worse, I let it drop.

After school I went home to take Layla for a safe walk around the neighborhood and then headed to Bonnie's to get ready. She was all excited for me to meet her boyfriend, who was also Elena's little brother, Jeremy. A steady stream of Jeremy gushing spilled from her as she pulled my hair up and back a la Audrey Hepburn. It took many bobby pins but Bonnie could work magic with hair and by the time she was finished, I didn't look half bad. Between that and the dress Elena was letting me borrow, I looked like I stepped out of the 60s. Not being one for the retro look I was a little skeptical but Bonnie assured me I would fit in. As she finished getting ready I marveled at the fact that kids would get so into a themed dance here. I was hoping that the entire dance was as enthusiastic as Bonnie and Elena; otherwise we would stand out severely.

Jeremy gave Bonnie and me a ride to the dance; Elena and Stefan were meeting us there. Jeremy was super cute but so not my type. He and Bonnie were adorable with each other and I could how much they were in to each other. It was sweet to see. Sigh, young love.

Now, I realized a while before this moment that I was going to be a total fifth wheel. I don't want you to think I didn't foresee this problem because I had. At this point, however, I was just going along with my new girl friends because that's what you do when you're new and you're trying to fit in. You go along with things, as long as they don't get you killed. In my narrow view of life at the time, a dance didn't seem life or death to me. It's almost embarrassing how wrong I was.

Once at the dance Jeremy asked to speak to Bonnie alone. I decided to go on in and find Elena and Stefan who had already texted they were in the dance. Walking into the gym my jaw hit the floor in amazement of the sights around me. I shouldn't have worried about my outfit fitting in.

Not only was the place decked to the nines in 60s style decorations and blasting 60s music, the entire school was there mingling and dancing in a giant mass of excited happiness. I had never seen such a sight at a high school event. If I hadn't known any better I would have thought I time traveled backward and into the decade the dance was portraying. This school knew how to throw a party.

"Amazing, isn't it?" A familiar voice said in my ear. I turned to smile at Damon Salvatore.

"That's just what I was thinking. I don't know that I've seen anything like this in my high school experience." I admitted. I had to practically shout to be heard over the music.

"Me either." Damon looked more perplexed than impressed but shrugged which ever expression it was off. "You're here alone. What did I tell you about being alone?" That fatherly, scolding tone again.

"I'm here with Bonnie and Jeremy. Trying to find Elena and Stefan. I am perfectly safe in the middle of a crowded high school dance." I defended myself. "It's sweet you care though." I added as a jab; I remembered how much hated being called kind, he would probably seethe at being called sweet.

My risk was rewarded. Damon scowled at me in response. I grinned back. His buttons were too easy to push. "What are you doing here anyway? Didn't you already graduate high school?" I asked, changing the subject before he got genuinely angry.

"Stefan's guardian. Chaperone at the dance. It's kinda the same job, I suppose." Damon responded, no hint of irritation in his voice. My diversion worked. "Trying to find Alaric and someone else." He glanced at me quickly than looked away. He was being vague on purpose. I didn't know him well enough to pry but my curiosity was piqued. Who was this 'someone else'? All so mysterious.

Any more conversation was cut short by the appearance of a girl on stage. It was the same random girl that approached Elena and Bonnie at lunch. She looked cute in her little dress but her smile seemed fake and plastered. She got the room's attention then dedicated a song to Elena… from Klaus.

Damon's head whipped around at the mention of the name; he began scanning the crowd almost frantically. I was finding it strange that this guy with a messed up name was stalking Elena. She had looked scared before, I was sure she was terrified now.

"What a creep." I frowned.

Damon looked at me. "You know him?"

"Klaus? No, just that girl up there mentioned him to Elena earlier today."

Damon seemed dissatisfied but nodded. "I heard."

That was interesting. He was scanning the crowd again. I saw Elena and the gang standing not far off from where we were. Damon was not looking for them. "He scares her." I observed. Elena was also looking around, her face upset in a similar manner as earlier at lunch.

Damon looked over his shoulder at Elena. His face softened a bit, as if he felt bad for her. "As he should." Damon looked back at me. He sized me up, looking as though he was debating telling me something. The words tumbled out whether he wanted them to or not. "He scares us all."

I tried not to show the level of my surprise. My thoughts went immediately to 'stalker,' but my gut was telling me this was something more. Before I could question him further, Damon took off into the crowd without a goodbye.

I sighed and joined my friends; hello fifth wheel.

Bonnie took Jeremy onto the dance floor. Elena looked at me but I waved her and Stefan off to go dance as well. I didn't need a babysitter.

For the next 30 minutes or so I was involved in what the majority of Mystic Falls would consider a 'normal high school dance' experience. I stood alone, bopping to the catchy music of the decade, I danced a slow dance with a classmate whose name I'll never remember, I drank punch, and I giggled with my friends when they weren't out dancing with their boyfriends. It was pretty…well, normal. The only difference was I could tell my friends were on edge about something; a lot of smiles were being forced.

It was the rest of the night that ended up being very, very not normal. About a half hour into the dance for our little gang, a series of events was put into motion that I can only describe in vague detail. It seemed that someone told another someone something that wasn't supposed to be revealed and that something was spreading through the group like wildfire. No one seemed happy about it and expressions were going from worry to anger. I totally felt left out of the loop but things were happening so rapidly I had no one to complain to.

Finally, at one point, Damon found me and asked me to go find Jeremy and stick with him, insisting it was important I stay with him. He seemed serious so I left the gym in the direction Damon pointed and headed down the hall. I caught up with Jeremy quickly.

"Hey. What are you doing in the hallway? Dance is back that way." I jerked my thumb over my shoulder as I fell into step beside him.

Jeremy barely looked at me. "I have to get something from my locker. It's for Bonnie, I told her I'd give it to her tonight."

Now it seemed to me that you weren't supposed to be wandering the halls during a dance. If a teacher caught us we'd be in big trouble and I didn't want to get detention or suspended in my first week of school. Oh, how small those problems seem now. Bring on detention if I could only not have to worry about super vampires and werewolf hybrids.

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" I asked my nervousness at being caught showing up in my voice.

Jeremy pressed his lips together and shook his head. "You don't have to come." He added.

"I have orders." I told him, thinking about how intent Damon had been for me to stay with Jeremy. He didn't question my words.

Our path was blocked rather suddenly by another student. I don't know where he came from, a corner maybe, but it was like he just…appeared. He was flanked by two other students, all big, kinda burly boys. Their expressions seemed vacant, yet fierce at the same time. It instantly sent chills down my spine.

The next few minutes were a blur. They sort of picked on Jeremy who was already in a mood and not wanting to deal with these three and their drama. But then they started shoving and I was grabbed by one and slammed up against a wall face first. I saw stars as my head hit the brick hard. One of the goons was pushing me against the wall with all his body weight; he had my arm at a weird angle and I couldn't do much but try to stomp on his feet while I meagerly struggled to get away. I had no success in the foot or getting away department.

It sounded as though the other two were going to town on Jeremy. I screamed his name a couple of times but he never answered. After what seemed like ages there was a shout of "hey idiot!" and the fighting stopped. However, weird noises began, like someone shot an arrow out of a bow. Of course, that couldn't be right, who'd have a bow and arrow on school property? Who'd have time to shoot one?

There was more scuffling, this time much shorter in duration. I was released and by the time I turned, shaking out my arm, Jeremy was standing next to Stefan and Damon and the three students were on the floor out cold. Those Salvatores had impeccable timing.

Damon was asking if I was okay when Stefan blurted out something about this being a distraction. Damon went off to find Elena and Stefan left after making sure Jeremy and I were alright. My orders hadn't changed, I was supposed to stay with Jeremy so I took him into the girls' bathroom to clean up his injuries best I could.

"Did they kick you in the face?" I was appalled.

"They tried." Jeremy sighed looking like he wanted to be any place but where he was right then. "They got my ribs good though." He winced and grabbed his rib cage.

"Do they have something against you?" I asked, stepping back from him, my feeble attempt of trying to mend him finshed.

He looked at me a moment, his eyes showing the internal debate on whether or not he wanted to tell me something. Eventually he shook his head. "No, we were just in the wrong place at the right time for them." He stood up and headed for the door. "Listen, I know you're supposed to stick by me but I need to find Bonnie. Now."

"Well I'll go with you." I offered. He stopped short. I ran into the back of him. He turned, grabbed me by my upper arms and got right in my face. I think he wanted me to see how serious he was but to be honest he scared me a bit.

"No. You need to find Elena. Stick by her. She might need help tonight." Jeremy was even more intense than Damon had been earlier. I could do naught but nod in agreement.

"You find Bonnie, I'll find Elena." I summarized.

Jeremy nodded and let go of me, turned and left. I stood alone in the bathroom a moment trying to piece everything together. Something very weird was going on and every instinct in my body told me to run straight home and never speak to any of these people again. Oh instinct, how I should have listened to you.

Instead, I decided not to analyze it too much and just help out my friends. Jeremy only wanted me to find Elena and honestly, I was worried about her. That stalker guy Klaus was probably around and that's why Stefan and Damon were so amped up about her. I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath before stepping into the hallway. Then it struck me. Where in the heck was I supposed to find Elena?

The school is a maze; the same people who design rat mazes must have designed this school. It was only a week at Mystic Falls High for me and I was nowhere near having the layout memorized. I turned a corner and stopped because I knew if I wandered to far from the gym I'd be wandering the halls until Monday. Maybe I should just look for Elena in the dance.

I was about to turn and do that when I heard running footsteps. They were coming from a hall that crossed the one I was in and they were coming fast. I saw Elena's purple dress and white boots fly by with Stefan close on her heels. I jogged down the hall to catch up, feeling a little triumphant. Found her! That was easy.

By the time I got to the hallway the two of them were farther down, banging on a closed door. Elena was hysterical and in tears; this couldn't be good. She was crying Bonnie's name and repeating 'no' over and over. I was hesitant to get any closer, something very strange was happening.

I could hear all sorts of noise coming from the room. I recognized where we were; the room was one of the lunchrooms in the school. Bright lights were flashing in the windows. Stefan and Elena were both trying to open the doors but neither one was successful. Elena was sobbing now and I was afraid to approach; I didn't want to see what was going on in that room.

Then it was dark. As suddenly as it started it had all started, it stopped. Elena rushed the room, the doors giving way to her easily. She was still screaming Bonnie's name. Stefan followed her in. I didn't want to. I didn't want to go in that room, I didn't want to see what was going on with Bonnie. I knew it would be bad. Elena wouldn't be so upset if it wasn't bad.

My legs had a mind of their own. Apparently they wanted to see what was going on in that room and they didn't care how much my brain protested. Slowly they took me inside and toward the horrible scene that was playing out before my eyes.

_Bonnie's dress was super cute tonight_. Those were my first thoughts. Crazy, I know, but I don't think your brain works right when dealing with loss and horror such as that. Elena was crying that Bonnie was dead and Bonnie certainly looked dead from where I was standing. I had never seen someone…dead.

More than anything, though, Elena's sobs were affecting me. The pain, loss, and sorrow in those cries were heart wrenching. I wanted to comfort her, tell her it was going to be alright. I was frozen in place, however, knowing no words could do this moment justice.

I am not sure when Damon came in. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours; time seemed frozen. He was calm and cool about the whole thing. He walked up to me first and made me look at him and not at Bonnie. It took some effort but I finally met his steely gaze. "I need you to help Stefan with Elena. Elena needs to go home and you need to help her."

I opened my mouth to object; I wasn't close enough of a friend to help her. This was something that needed family support, boyfriend support. I was just the new girl. Words failed me, however and Damon repeated what he wanted me to do. I nodded.

I didn't hear what Damon said to Stefan but it must have been similar as what he said to me because Stefan got a hold of Elena and started dragging her away from Bonnie. As they got close I helped, taking some of Elena's weight on the other side. We got her to the SUV and she crawled into the back seat. I got in with her; her sobbing had subsided into quiet tears but her face made Stefan and I painfully aware of how much she was suffering. As Stephan drove us back to the boarding house Elena laid down, curled up in the seat next to me, her head resting in my lap. All I could do was try and sooth her by petting her hair and offering words of assurance. Yeah, those words sounded hollow in my ears, too. Bonnie was already gone. How was life ever again going to be the same for Elena? For Jeremy? For any of us?


	5. Step 5: Secrets Revealed

**Step 5: Secrets Revealed**

The drive back to the boarding house was silent except for a few quiet sobs from Elena. It gave me time to think. My thoughts were racing with a billion and one questions. One of the top questions was 'what the hell happened in that lunchroom that not only made the noise and light show but killed Bonnie?' The other top question was about why we would leave the scene of a crime and not immediately call the police. Nobody had done anything wrong as far as I knew so why were we being all hush hush secret about it? Then I questioned the circle of friends I had made; maybe they weren't as nice and awesome as I thought.

In the SUV I came to the conclusion that I had two choices. One, I could just leave; drop this group of people as soon as we got to the boarding house, go home, and pretend we never met. Two, I could stay; help comfort my friend in her loss, and hope there was a reasonable explanation forthcoming. I really liked these people, at least the sides they were showing me, so I was leaning toward option two. I still kept option one in the back of my mind, however.

The ride home was one of the longest trips in a car I think I ever had. I know it was only a fifteen minute drive but my head was working so overtime that it seemed much longer. I know you've had moments like that; waiting impatiently for a friend to show up to give you a ride or when you're anxious to get home so you don't miss the beginning of your favorite TV show and you hit every red light and you swear it took an extra ten minutes to get there even though it was the same amount of time the drive always took. Yea, that's the feeling I was having in that SUV.

At the Salvatore home the three of us walked in the door and then stood in the doorway. We weren't sure what to do exactly. I could tell from looking at Elena that a sort of numbness had set in; she was drained of energy and emotion and could barely stand much less think about any sort of plan of action.

"I'll make coffee." Stefan offered, pointing to me, then Elena, then the sitting room. I nodded; I got it.

I ushered Elena into the room and sat her on the couch. The fire was going making the room toasty and cozy but Elena shivered so I threw a blanket around her which she immediately snuggled in. Her eyes wouldn't meet mine and I had no clue what to say to her so we sat in silence while Stefan was gone. Great friend I was turning out to be.

"I can't believe she's gone." Elena's whisper was loud in the silent room.

"Me either." Brilliant social skills shining through yet again. I can't explain in words how awkward this situation was for me; I wasn't sure what was going on beyond one classmate being dead and it really seemed as though these kids were going to cover it up somehow. I wanted to comfort Elena but I wasn't sure how and I wasn't sure I trusted these people. My world was in a topsy-turvy spin and I was struggling just to keep my feet on the ground.

Stefan came back as Elena sobbed something about it being all her fault. Stefan tried to assure her it wasn't but she wasn't buying it. This only confused me more so I stood and walked over to the foyer, the place where it had all started for me. I could hear Elena still crying and Stefan trying to calm her down but their words were little more than muted mumbles. I was curious but I was also wary; I wasn't sure I wanted to hear what they were saying.

I paced the foyer a few more moments before the door slammed open and Damon stormed in. He looked determined though his expression changed to confusion at the sight of me. "What are you doing here?" He asked, not kindly.

"You told me to help Stefan." I reminded him meekly. His intensity was a bit scary.

He softened a smidge at the reminder. "I need you to wait here."

A lot of people needed me to 'wait here' in this town. I was starting to get weary of being bossed around but the look in Damon's eyes told me now was not a time to challenge authority. I nodded my answer and planted my feet in the foyer, just like before.

He stalked past me into the sitting room where Elena and Stefan were. I saw bits and pieces of what happened, the highlights being Elena slapping Damon and then a few moments later Elena's facial expressions going from angry to disbelief to joy. Wow, I wish I knew what was said in that conversation.

Damon was trying to make an obvious dramatic exit; he spun on his heel and headed toward me. "Come on, I'll take you home."

I hesitated. I admit it; I was scared to death of that guy in that moment. I don't know what he had done with Bonnie's body but I figured he thought I knew too much as was going to take me out on my 'ride home.' Then I remembered how he saved me that one night, even though he didn't have to. I was conflicted.

Damon popped his head back in the door, not caring that I was conflicted, just in a hurry. "Let's _go_." He repeated. I jumped at his words and followed him, not really having any other choice.

In his car we were silent for most of the way to my house. At some point, he sighed loudly. I looked over at him; he seemed really stressed and upset. Well, of course he was, he just disposed of the body of his brother's girlfriend's best friend. Why was I in a car with him again?

"Thanks for helping with Elena." He said sharply, cutting into my growing panic attack. He still didn't look at me. "She needed it." He added.

"Sure." My voice was shaky, even with that one syllable. I looked away but I could tell he looked over at me.

"Bonnie's okay." He said point blank. I frowned, looked at him, then looked back at the road ahead.

"She's dead. I saw her. That's far from okay." I replied, avoiding his gaze.

"No, she's not dead. She's okay. I just want you to know that. You can't tell anybody this, though. It's important." Damon's voice went from calm and collected to urgent. I couldn't help it, I looked at him.

"She's not dead? But I can't say anything to anyone? What kind of game are you all playing?"

"It's not a game." Damon turned his eyes back to the road. "But it's important this stays quiet. Elena's life depends on it. You got it?"

"I don't think I want to be involved with this-"

"You're already involved!" Damon cut me off with a near shout. "Whether you like it or not, you're already a part of this. We need to know we can count on you to stay quiet and not blab our secrets around town. It's important." He repeated.

Looking back at it now, I am not sure why he didn't just compel me. He told me later he never compelled me, he never wanted to. He always knew he could trust me, which was weird for Damon since he never trusted anyone. But just so you know, according to him, he never compelled me.

The seriousness and slight pleading tone of his voice was winning me over. "Bonnie's okay?" I asked, just to make sure.

Damon looked at me then nodded. "Yea, she's fine. She's with Jeremy right now."

I nodded in return and sank back in the seat of the car. "I won't say anything." I promised. "But somebody has to tell me what's going on here. Trust begets trust, you know."

Damon sighed at that. He was quiet a few moments, thinking. "Elena will tell you." He finally spoke.

"Elena will tell me what?" I prompted.

"What's going on. I'd tell you, but I don't want to mess it up." Damon half smiled to himself. "No, its better you hear it from her."

"Does it have to do with Klaus?" I knew at that point I was pushing my luck with him but he only gave me a sharp look in response. "Okay, then." It obviously had to do with Klaus.

We lapsed into silence which was short lived since we came upon my house a few moments later. "Thanks for the ride." At a time like that, small, polite words seemed trite but I wasn't sure what else to say.

"Thanks for your help." He replied, not looking at me.

Sighing loudly I exited the car. I did notice he sat there, in his car, waiting until I got inside my house. I couldn't figure that guy out; was Damon a bastard creep like I'd been told or was he a protecting, upstanding guy like I kept witnessing? What a mess.

The next day was Saturday. I had fallen into bed, exhausted by the evening's events. There hadn't been a problem falling asleep. However, that morning I had no desire to crawl out from covers. I was hoping, praying, that last night had been a bad nightmare. Unfortunately, I knew it wasn't.

I would have stayed in bed til noon but Layla was in my room staring at me. It's funny; you really can't ignore a dog when it's staring at you, even if you're facing away from it, under the covers. Dog stares bore into your soul. I got up to let her out and feed her.

When I was done my cell phone rang. The caller ID read Elena Gilbert. I debated for two more rings then finally decided to answer. My brain was telling me if I was smart I'd let it ring and not speak with any of those weirdoes again. My heart won out, though, telling me they needed my support and it was too late; I was emotionally tied to them.

Elena wanted to meet up to talk. She was willing to come to my place so I invited her over for lunch. A note in the kitchen told me that both mom and dad were out of town for the weekend. The note had two fifties paper clipped to it. At least they tried to buy my love with a decent amount of money. I frowned; that thought was less than satisfying.

I made sandwiches that were ready just as Elena made it over. We sat at the kitchen table, Layla at my feet. Elena took a few bites before beginning the conversation.

"Damon said I should talk to you." She began, chewing thoughtfully. "I think he's right. You've already seen a lot so it's probably best to be honest." She sighed, looking down at her hands. "This is probably the worst time you could have picked to move here."

I didn't know whether or not to be offended. I frowned and crossed my arms, sitting back in my chair. Also, _I_ didn't pick now; my parents did.

"I know it wasn't your choice." Elena reassured. "There was no way for you to know. I just think it's a shame that you're here when such bad things are happening. Usually Mystic Falls isn't so…depressing."

"So you're saying all this is happening because of bad timing?" I didn't know what 'all this' was but I figured it had to do with Klaus and what happened with Bonnie.

Elena nodded. She was silent a few minutes, finishing off her sandwich. She seemed to decide something mentally and for the first time since she began talking she met my eyes. "Do you believe in the supernatural?"

I blinked. _So_ not what I was expecting. "Supernatural?" I echoed quietly.

"Yes, like demons and ghosts, or even werewolves and," she hesitated before finishing. "Vampires?"

I blinked again. Was this girl on crack? "Do I believe in vampires?" I repeated, squinting at her, trying to gauge if she was serious. She was dead serious.

"I guess believing doesn't matter. I didn't believe in any of that either. Supernatural things are only for movies and books and TV, not for real life." Elena shuddered a little bit. "I so wish I still thought that way."

I was not about to believe that all this could be explained away by some hocus pocus supernatural mumbo jumbo. I was more than skeptical. "You believe in vampires?" I shook my head. "And ghosts and goblins? Elena this is insane." This had to be some kind of joke at my expense.

She wasn't laughing. "Damon and Stefan are vampires." She stated plainly. I think my jaw hung open with shock, though I still didn't believe it. To state it so convincingly, however, was stunning. "Bonnie is a witch. That's why she didn't die last night, she cast a spell."

"A- what?" I was having a hard time trusting my ears. I shook my head again. "No, no, why are you telling me all these crazy things? I am not getting the joke."

Elena seized my wrist with her hand to make sure I was paying attention. I could see the seriousness in her expression. "I am not joking, Avvy. You are in the middle of something very dangerous, whether you want to be or not. I am sorry for dragging you into this but you have to know the truth so you can protect yourself. If I keep you in the dark I'll be risking your life and I can't do that."

So she was serious about the vampire and witch thing. "They walk around in the sunlight." I whispered, thinking about Stefan and Damon. My mind was opening up to the truth because of the urgency and sincerity in Elena's tone, but I still had my doubts.

"Regular vampire lore is just that; lore. Some typical rules are true but most can be bent or broken. Stefan, Damon, and a few other vampires have the ability to walk in sunlight. Garlic and holy water aren't weapons. Stake to the heart does work, though."

"A few other vampi…" My voice trailed off as I digested this information. Vampires. Elena was dating one of them. The other one randomly saved me from a bad situation the other evening. Both had been downright nice to me this week. Vampires.

"And Bonnie?" My voice cracked as I said our friend's name. It was difficult remembering her lying on the floor, not breathing, eyes glazed over in death. Supposedly she was alive but I had yet to see proof.

"A witch. A very powerful one. She comes from a long line of them." Elena bit her bottom lip, waiting to see what I would say.

It took a while. I drummed my fingers on the table as I thought about what she was saying. Vampires. Witches. Supernatural. Hocus pocus. I was going to need more than just a statement of fact.

"Okay," I took a deep breath, nodded once and looked at Elena. "I'm ready. Tell me everything."


End file.
